Protesters in Venice, Italy, are demanding that billionaire Jeff Bezos “pay more” taxes ahead of his luxe wedding to Lauren Sánchez.
According to photos obtained by Page Six on Monday, the international environmental group Greenpeace deployed a giant banner at St. Mark’s Square in Venice displaying a picture of the Amazon founder laughing alongside the words: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax.”
Greenpeace took to Instagram to share a video of the banner being laid out. In the caption of their post, they called out Bezos, 61, for allegedly underpaying his employees.
“Jeff Bezos pays his staff poverty wages and dodges tax,” the group wrote Monday.
“No wonder he can afford to shut down half of Venice for his wedding this week. Tax billionaires NOW,” they added.
Page Six has reached out to Bezos’ rep for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Protests have kicked off all over the City of Canals as Bezos and Sánchez’s star-studded nuptials are set to take place sometime this week.
Italian protesters have been plastering posters all over the city with slogans like “Veniceland: A playground fit for an oligarch” and “No space for Bezos.”
The demonstrators are also planning to block the canals and streets to disturb the forthcoming nuptials in response to ongoing issues such as over-tourism and anti-capitalism.
However, the couple’s wedding planners, Prince Antonio Licata di Baucina and Count Riccardo Lanza of Lanza & Baucina Limited, defended Bezos and Sánchez, 55, saying that the high-profile pair explicitly instructed them to minimize any disruption in the city during their three-day wedding festivities.
“From the outset, instructions from our client and our own guiding principles were abundantly clear: the minimising of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events,” Lanza & Baucina Limited said in a statement.
The event planners also noted in the statement that they have been actively working to avoid any negative impacts, months before the protests kicked off.
“Before the recent news of protests arose, we had worked for there to be minimal negative impact or disruption to the lives of Venetians and the city’s visitors,” Lanza & Baucina Limited explained.
“We have always acknowledged the wider debate and critical issues surrounding the city’s future, and from the outset our client has been honoured to support the city and its all-important lagoon through non-profit organisations and associated projects.”
Lanza and Baucina also denied rumors that the soon-to-be bride and groom are “taking over the city” by booking an “exaggerated quantity of water taxis or gondolas.”
Additionally, Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said he believes the ceremony will have a “multi-million dollar” impact on the city’s economy.
In an effort to give back to Venice, Page Six exclusively reported that the Washington Post owner and the former journalist quietly donated to local Venetian charities and made donations in honor of their guests as a gift in April.
The couple, who got engaged in May 2023, are also sourcing 80 percent of their wedding supplies from Venetian vendors.
Bezos and Sánchez are set to exchange vows in front of several A-listers, including Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Ivanka Trump, Leonardo DiCaprio and many more.
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